## May 15

434
LENIN COLLECTION

necessity for life, on behalf of Soviet Russia I consider it my duty to express gratitude to the workers and engineers of the Surakhansk oil fields. Such facts of heroism best demonstrate that despite all difficulties, despite the continuous conspiracies of Socialist Revolutionary and White Guard enemies of the Workers' Republic, the Soviet Republic will emerge victorious from all hardships.

Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars
V. Ulyanov
(Lenin)

Printed from the original
signed by V. I. Lenin.

9863
LETTER TO V. A. SMOLYANINOV*

May 15, 1922

I must call to your attention, and to comrade Zaks's attention—with a warning that on the next occasion stricter disciplinary measures will be applied—that upon checking the work of comrade Ulrikh, who has been monitoring the execution of decisions of the Council of People's Commissars and the Council of Labor and Defense for several months now, I have found enormous disorder.

The card attached hereto determines the form and procedure of comrade Ulrikh's work. Meanwhile, this card is not being executed; neither you nor Zaks have been supervising this, although it is your first-priority duty. I have instructed comrade Ulrikh to fill out the card with the strictest accuracy, strictly to the point of pedantry.

I instruct you together with comrade Zaks to achieve the most meticulous execution of this; if comrade Ulrikh does not learn, replace her and find an absolutely accurate performer.

From the attached cards it is evident that comrade Fotieva has also begun, like comrade Ulrikh, to "on her own" alter the card. This I absolutely will not allow. Changes to the card may be prescribed and permitted only by the deputies, with their joint signature. For any other changes—dismiss from office.

It is better to verify only a portion of the resolutions of the SNK and STO (by notation of the deputies or manager of affairs), but to verify with the most pedantic accuracy.

Each People's Commissar is obliged immediately to appoint several comrades upon whom responsibility for verification of execution rests (manager of affairs, his assistant, secretary, his assistant, etc.) and to report their names to the manager of affairs of the SNK and STO. These persons must be mercilessly punished by arrest or dismissal on the order of the deputies for inaccuracy. A People's Commissar must be punished by reprimand, simple and with entry in his party booklet, for inaccuracy. The manager of affairs of the SNK must monitor this—most strictly—and I will absolutely remove him from office if this is not executed with the most pedantic accuracy.

The task is to accustom the People's Commissariats to accuracy, imprisoning and expelling inaccurate performers.

What has been said regarding the People's Commissariats applies to all individual institutions (Gosplan, Central Statistical Administration, Concessions Committee, Comvnutorg, etc.) and to the gubernatorial executive committees, oblast economic councils, etc.

Twice a month both you and Zaks are obliged to write to me (briefly, in telegraphic style) how matters proceed with the organization of accurate verification of execution. For failure—dismissal.

I am attaching cards filled out by comrade Fotieva (inaccurately and inadmissibly), and clean cards corrected by me: do not dare to soil them, do not dare to write anything extra, do not dare to deviate by a single iota. Otherwise I will dismiss both secretaries and all managers of affairs.

Show this paper to both deputies immediately. Have them sign (before my departure, i.e., within 3–4 days, no more) the most precise resolution on how, in accordance with my instructions, one should verify execution, fill out cards, and punish for inaccuracy.

Chairman of the Council of People's Commissars
V. Ulyanov (Lenin)

9870
DIRECTIVES TO LEADERS OF
CENTRAL INSTITUTIONS

*Secret. Personal. To all People's Commissars (if absent, to their deputies).*

*Also to all individual institutions: Central Statistical Administration, Gosplan, Concessions Committee, Comvnutorg at the STO, Tsentrosoyuz, etc., All-Union Central Council of Trade Unions, Comintern, Profintern, etc.*

May 21, 1922

Departing on leave for several months, I would very much ask that informing me of the most important matters and the progress of execution of the most important decisions, plans, campaigns, etc. be arranged as follows:

— send me 1–2 times a month the very briefest (no more than 2–3 pages) communications on this subject and arrange for me to be sent the most important of the current printed publications of the People's Commissariat, as well as the texts of the most important printed resolutions, as well as drafts. If it is inconvenient for the People's Commissar himself to undertake this work, I request him to report to whom exactly (his deputy, a member of the collegium, manager of affairs or secretary, etc.) he entrusts it, instructing this person to maintain accurate contact with my secretary (Fotieva, Lepeshinskaya). Through these same secretaries requests can always be sent by telegraph or mail, whereby current and urgent requests are addressed only to the deputy (Tsyurupa), and to me only in copy.

Lenin

The secretaries are charged with carefully monitoring the execution of this, informing me of incoming publications, sending not all of them but only the most important ones (the rest—only a list of them).

From Russian newspapers accurately send *Pravda*, *Izvestia*, and *Ekonomicheskaya Zhizn*.

Communicate regularly with the *Communist International* and the People's Commissariat of Foreign Affairs with a request to send the most important foreign publications, especially brochures on current questions.

From foreign Russian publications send *Nakanune*, *Social-Democrat* (Mensheviks), *Zarya* (Mensheviks), *Contemporary Notes* (Socialist Revolutionaries), *Russian Thought*, and a list of the remaining publications, brochures, and books.